WiFinder

This application does exactly what it claims to do. It finds available WiFi signal’s that you could use to access the net.

The difference between WiFinder and one of the WiFi signal finders you can buy in the store is that WiFinder actually tries to log into a popular site to see if a connection is allowed without having to subscribe to some local access provider. Sometimes, even though there is an open network available, you find that a local web page pops up asking for your credit card for an hour or 24 hours of use.

Since this app actually goes to a website, it can tell if a network is truly open or just "open for rent". WiFinder also provides you with a signal strength meter and the type of security a closed network has. We like this application because it works well, works fast, and is priced right, thats why it gets our top rating of 5 stars.

It would be nice though if the developer would add just a few things to the application. Sorting by signal strength and availability, saving open networks for future use without needing to rescan a common place you visit (airport, hotel, etc), and the ability to choose your network for actual use from inside the app instead of having to go back to the iphones settings.

Quick Take:

Value: Priced right for what it currently provides.Would I Buy Again: Yes, much less expensive than one of those WIFi hardware finders, and does more.Learning Curve: None, very simple to use.Who is it for: Anyone who uses a laptop and connects to public networks.What I like: The ability for WiFinder to bypass the open networks that require ‘renting’ time. What I Don’t: A way to save ‘good’ networks for future use without rescanning that same area would be nice.

Final Statement: $2.99 for a good WiFi finder like this one is very reasonable. The fact that it does more than others by actually bypassing ‘pay as you go’ open networks saves a lot of time and makes this app have a permenant place on my iPhone.

Read the Developer's Notes:

Hate spending time going through the list of the "open" wireless networks to see which ones actually give a connection instead of redirecting to a local page? This application checks the local networks to see which are open and then attempts to connect to them and retrieve the web page of a popular web browser. If it goes through, you get a green check mark showing it's safe to use. Hop over to the Settings->Wi-Fi tool, and choose that network to use in the future! Note that this application is just for looking at open networks - it does not attempt to break into closed networks, nor does it remember your security settings.

Update information: Based on feedback from early purchasers, I'm going to put together a free update that will allow you to:- Sort by signal strength- Connect directly to an open network from the application (instead of having to go to your WiFi settings)